The ball of darkness had come straight from nowhere.

  Asher craned his head to look at it closely.

  Then he pushed himself forward before dashing away at full speed. His muscles strained and his face hardened with pain, but he ignored it.

  He could only grit his teeth and let his leg swell with pain.

  The ball of darkness shivered as small translucent wings popped on its surface as it exploded with speed.

  Asher's eyes widened, though not for long, as he changed his path and slowed the orb briefly on its flight.

  However, in the next instant it vanished.

  ‘Where?’

  Asher stopped.

  Just then Asher sensed something wrong and turned his head below to look at his shadow.

  It looked deeper, darker, and even alive.

  Swisss!

  A dark orb jumped out, surprising him.

  Or almost did surprise him.

  Asher summoned his crystal blade and swept it above in one clean strike!

  Though the orb of darkness fluttered, flying back, barely dodging the strike.

  Asher had already jumped back, creating sufficient distance between them. If he could not escape, he could only confront whatever it was.

  However, the inevitable fight didn’t break out.

  In fact, it didn’t look as inevitable as Asher thought it would be.

  The orb remained still in the air; its two small translucent wings had already disappeared inside its body.

  Asher looked at it with narrowed eyes, waiting for any intent to attack. But no such thing happened.

  He waited for a second, raised his blade in the warm desert, and then the seconds turned into minutes.

  No one made a move.

  His silver eyes reflected the dark orb, which seemed… annoyed?

  ‘No, if someone should be allowed to annoyed, it should be me!’

  Asher frowned with a displeased look and gently lowered his sword. He didn’t place it back and held it tightly in his grip. And curiously tilted his head before asking.

  “You… What are you?”

  The orb of darkness shivered mid-air as if scared by his cold voice.

  Asher studied its reactions with an aloof gaze. He had asked the question without any expectations; after all, spending lots of time with the Acosador had given him a habit of talking with himself.

  And then the air trembled along with the small bud of darkness as something pressed closely on Asher’s ears like a broken speaker.

  “S-sp-iri-t”

  ‘Noisy!’

  The first thought that appeared in Asher's mind was due to the unpleasantness the sound made; the other that appeared was due to disbelief.

  ‘A spirit?’

  Asher's brows shot up together as he licked his lips, not hiding his surprise.

  ‘A spirit actually appeared, and I can look at it.’

  Asher had been long since aware he had gained an unexpected affinity for spirits when he had heard Lyra’s voice in the Pristella mansion. At that time it was only a voice, not the actually appearance but now he could definitely see this spirit!

  Asher felt joy bloom inside his chest but suppressed it instinctively, knowing that it would not benefit him in any case, except when fighting people with spirits.

  He observed the dark bud, the little spirit for a little longer before parting his lips and asking with a lowered voice, this time much softer.

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  “Why are you here? What do you want from me?”

  As Asher’s question was left hanging in the air, the bud of darkness shivered, letting out another sound.

  “G-ui-de.”

  Asher's gaze sharpened instantly the moment he heard the spirit speak; even ignoring the unpleasant voice coming out, several pieces of information clicked one after the other in his mind.

  ‘A guide for me? To the east then… This bud is a spirit of shadow, isn’t he?’

  Asher pursed his lips tightly; the creature of shadow, the sublime giant wrapped in that fearsome armor, has not only given him direction but a guide as well?

  It was hard to believe.

  Even so, Asher didn’t believe it at once. In the past month he had been fooled too many times to believe anything.

  Taking a deep breath, Asher smelled the sand and dust filling his airways before speaking again.

  “Did that shadow send you here? To guide me to the east?” Asher paused, choosing his words carefully before continuing speaking. “You don’t need to speak; just nod if yes and shake yourself if not.”

  This way he could avoid hearing that heinous voice and get his answers as well.

  This way he can kill two birds with one stone!

  Asher couldn’t believe a small bud like it would have such a horrendous voice. Lyra, another spirit of wind, had such a sweet and melodious voice compared to this!

  In any case, the spirit of shadow didn’t mind. He nodded, pulling its body up and down in the air. Asher could only imagine its joy, as it was obviously weaker than Lyra yet could speak. A considerable amount of effort must have been made by this small spirit.

  Seeing it nod, Asher nodded back.

  “Alright, now answer what I asked.”

  The air trembled as the spirit appeared displeased by his commands.

  Asher blinked and then sighed before adding.

  “...Please.”

  He could already imagine the spirit puffing his chest proudly in his imagination; thinking like this, Asher suddenly smiled thinly, as if a small burden had been pulled off his back.

  The spirit eventually nodded.

  Asher sighed, his knuckles whitening as he gripped his blade.

  “But why do I need a guide? Is there somewhere you are taking me?”

  The spirit nodded.

  Asher's lips parted in disbelief as he stared at the spirit.

  ‘Its sure is smart.’

  Asher inwardly praised the spirit of shadow and let out a small chuckle.

  One monster after another is after me… I am quite the commodity here.

  Then in a cold voice he asked, forgetting the slow voice he had been using till now.

  “And why do I need to follow where you take me? Does that fearsome shadow need something from me?”

  Asher saw the spirit cover back and nodded and shook at the same time.

  Asher scowled.

  “What? Either nod or shake; don’t do both!”

  ‘Was the question too hard?’

  The spirit started to calm down at Asher's angry voice. Then it turned to the left, where the forest of shadow resided. Asher patiently watched it.

  ‘Is it taking new commands.’

  Maybe it was… or maybe just looking hopefully for answers.

  Asher couldn’t know.

  After a moment the spirit of shadow nodded slowly, even hesitantly, he thought.

  He sighed and rubbed his head.

  “So that being really want something… Hmm, I am not very keen on going there, you know.”

  The spirit slumped down.

  The land suddenly quaked, and loud roars and screeches pressed closer to Asher's ears as he turned to face it with a pale look on his face.

  “Shit! You are my guide, right? Show me you are useful.”

  Asher asked, panic settling in his voice.

  He had wasted too much time staying at one place. Now the horrors have reached closer.

  The spirit suddenly shot forward at high speed. Asher looked at it and then followed behind.

  He looked at the spirit and then at the monsters closing in. He didn’t hesitate and chased after the spirit.

  The spirit moved fast—faster than Asher expected—and he pushed his legs harder, ignoring the pain. Sand sprayed beneath his boots as he followed the dark orb. Behind him, the roars grew louder, closer. He didn’t look back. Trusting this thing felt stupid, but what choice did he have?

  He doesn’t have the ever-reliable Acosador with him anymore; he has stabbed him to death after all. That creepy laughter was no more to make him aware of impending danger.

  Asher breathed heavily, each inhale scraping his throat raw. The creatures of beyond had drawn closer—too close—and their numbers were far more than he could handle.

  Still, luck had sided with him this once.

  He had shifted directions so many times in the past half hour that even he had lost track of his own path. But that confusion had worked in his favor. The distorted trails and shifting winds had finally thrown the creatures off his scent, leaving him alone—at least for now.

  As the spirit slowed down, Asher did as well and turned to see no one was following them.

  ‘This… I actually avoided them!’

  This was a first for him. To actually leave monsters behind, and not just fight them.

  As relief was flickering on Asher's face, the spirit of shadow appeared in front of him swiftly, prompting Asher to step back.

  And then—

  As if answering his previous question, it was said in a voice as if scratching a board loudly.

  “T-Th-ats… Y-you—r …fa–te.”

  Going there is my fate. What bullshit is this now?... Asher frowned.

  With a sigh, he looked at the spirit. And said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

  “Suddenly… I feel like defying fate.”